Posts Tagged ‘Allergens’

Hay Fever Time – Can Essential Oils Help Your Symptoms?

Comments: 0June 30th, 2011 by admin



I live in Colorado where we are having a very dry season-lots of warm days and dust and pollen floating around to make hay fever sufferers run for the decongestants and allergy medicines. STOP! Enough with the drugs that have harmful effects on the body! Nature can actually help. Yes, nature has given us the pollen that is causing the problem but nature also provides the cure in the form of essential oils.

Hay fever is an allergic reaction triggered by airborne allergens like pollen, animal hair, feathers, dust mites, etc that cause the body to release extra histamines. It’s the histamines that cause inflammation of the nasal passages and sinus-related areas. Sneezing is generally a first sign and I don’t just mean an occasional sneeze-but sneezing fits. A more serious form of respiratory allergy is asthma.

What Can Essential Oils Do to Help?

German chamomile (Matricaria recutita) is probably the best single oil remedy. It is actually in the daisy family and is high is oxides. This chamomile is a powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, relaxant and anesthetic. For nasal allergies, you might want to diffuse this oil or take it internally in capsules. I wouldn’t advise making this into a tea-the German variety has a harsher taste than the Roman variety which is sweeter and more palatable. Besides, one drop will make about 30 cups of chamomile tea.

The Roman Chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile) is a good second choice. This variety is much lighter in color-pale bluish yellow as compared to the German chamomile’s dark bluish black color. The Roman Chamomile is known for its relaxing qualities, is antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory and detoxifies the blood and liver. This one is so mild that you could put a few drops on your wrists or under your nose, diffuse it or take it as a dietary supplement. Unlike the German variety, the Roman chamomile is high in esters.

Here are two more suggestions for essential oils. Lavender (Lavendula angustifolia) is known far and wide for its anti-allergic properties, that is unless you are sensitive to lavender. Lavender is good for respiratory infections, as well as being helpful for allergies. It is antiseptic, antifungal, analgesic, anti-inflammatory and is vasodilating and a great relaxant.

My other suggestion is wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens). Wintergreen has antispasmodic properties, is highly anti-inflammatory, a vasodilator, has analgesic and anesthetic properties. Its primary ingredient is Methy Salicylate which makes it excellent for pain relief.

Do you have a quality diffuser? I don’t mean a candle burner but a diffuser that puts micro-droplets into the air. You will need a good diffuser when trying to help with airborne allergies. Want to learn more about how essential oils can help you maintain your health?

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Posted in Allergy And Sinus

Hay Fever Allergy

Comments: 0April 20th, 2011 by admin



Allergy is the most common illness in the world. It is characterized by the immune system’s reaction to substances that are viewed by the body as potentially harmful. The body launches an attack on these substances which is manifested by the symptoms experienced in an allergy attack. There are many substances that can cause an allergic reaction. Among them are peanuts, shellfish, eggs, milk, dust, insect bites and pollen.

Also known as allergic rhinitis, hay fever is usually characterized by an allergic reaction to pollen. The illness is named after the “haying season” when pollen grains in the air are in abundance. Since pollen carried by the wind is the more popular culprit, you should be aware of the most common plants releasing these pollen grains in the air. Trees including birch, alder, hazel, hornbeam, horse chestnut, willow, poplar, plane, lime and olive cause hay fever. Among these, birch and olive pollen are the most dominant. On the other hand, grass pollen from rye and timothy are responsible for about 90% of the total hay fever cases.

Effects of hay fever vary form person to person. Some experience mild reactions while others suffer severe reactions. Symptoms of the illness include coughing, headache, itching nose, runny nose and sneezing. You might also experience impaired smelling functions and sensitivity to flavors. Your eyes will water from the irritation in your nose. Sore throat, wheezing and conjunctivitis are also common reactions.

Hay fever is usually diagnosed by determining the patient’s history of symptoms. Your doctor will ask you the frequency of your symptoms, severity and onset. Changes in your diet, exposure to pets and allergens as well as weather conditions will all be considered in the evaluation for hay fever. Skin testing is also performed to determine specific sensitivity to particular allergens. Since cross-reactivity is normal, your doctor will naturally check you for reactions to cross-reacting substances.

To prevent hay fever, you should avoid being exposed to pollen. If you must go outdoors, try to wear a protective face mask for filtering pollen. You should also avoid going out during the early mornings and evenings when pollen levels are high. When drying your clothes, never put them outside where they can be exposed to pollen. The pollen will attach to the clothes you placed outside for longer than a moment and if you wear these clothes it’s possible that you could have an allergic reaction. Another activity you should avoid is mowing your lawn. This activity will disperse pollen in the air, increasing your chances for a hay fever attack. Some doctors recommend putting little cream on the nostrils and around the eyes to prevent pollen from entering these areas.

There are currently several available medications for treating symptoms of hay fever. These include fast-acting antihistamines, short-acting antihistamines, longer-acting antihistamines, leukotriene receptor antagonists, corticosteroid nasal sprays, topical decongestants, cromolyn sodium, allergy shots and herbal remedies. Any of these medications can relieve symptoms of hay fever effectively. You should make sure that when taking these medications, you will not be driving or operating heavy machineries since drowsiness can be experienced when taking medication like antihistamines.

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Posted in Allergy And Sinus

Hay Fever

Comments: 0April 17th, 2011 by admin



Did you know that hay fever affects 20% of all Americans? You will find that there are plenty of on going research projects that are trying to come up with better medications and better treatments for this disorder. There are a lot of people who will miss days of school or workdays because they are severing from hay fever.

You will want to think about the discomfort of having hay fever. There are a lot of people who will have hay fever as a child, severely, but then they will simply grow out of it. Some people will do the opposite and get worse and worse as they grow up.

For those who have asthma already, you will want to take hay fever very seriously. You will see more of the symptoms of the disorder than most people. You will find it not only difficult to breath, but you will also want to live with hay fever attacks. You may find it so life threatening, you don’t want to underestimate the power of a hay fever attack. You will want to think about getting tested because you are putting your life at risk.

Hay fever is commonly arises because of the allergens in the air. You will find that there are spores, dust, and even pet dander that may cause you to have hay fever. You don’t want to put yourself at rise for such disorders. You will also find that there are many flowering plants and the grass that will let off such pollens. There are also small pollen particles that are associated to trees.

Only your doctor can help to determine rather or not there is an appropriate treatment. You will want to learn how to control your hay fever, rather than have the hay fever control you. You will want to learn how you can reduce the severity of your symptoms. You will also want to think about learning how to avoid some of the seasonal allergies so that you don’t go through the symptoms of hay fever.

How do you know if you have hay fever? You’ll know that you have hay fever because you will constantly be touching your nose and you will feel like your whole face is puffy. You will not only notice a change in your nasal and mouth, you will want to think about your total health. Your head is going to be very fuzzy and you’ll have some issues with the way that you see as well. You’ll know when you have hay fever because you are going to want to stop and take a break until it passes.

A lot people will miss work or school because of the disorder, and you can’t let it get the best of you.

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Posted in Allergy And Sinus

Hay Fever Symptoms

Comments: 0March 5th, 2011 by admin



Hay Fever can be an annoying medical problem if you suffer from it. Hay Fever is also commonly called allergic rhinitis, and this is caused by an allergic response from your body to pollen and other organisms that are in the air. Pollen can not be seen, but it is present in the air most of the time. During certain seasons, organism levels can get extremely high in the air, and this can bring on severe symptoms of Hay Fever, but in some sufferers this can be an all year long condition. The severity of the symptoms will depend on how sensitive you are to the organisms in the air. If you are highly allergic, you may have symptoms all year long instead of just in the spring and fall. Pollen is not the only cause of Hay Fever, it can also be caused by mold spores, feather particles, animal hair and dander, dust mites, and other organisms and particles that can not be seen but that are present in the air you breathe.

Hay Fever symptoms can vary from one person to the next, depending on many factors including individual sensitivities, the levels of organisms that are in the air, and the number of allergens present. It is possible for you to be allergic to many different organisms at the same time. This can be a main cause of Hay Fever that occurs all year long. When you come into contact and breathe in these organisms, your body wrongly interprets this as an enemy and produces the allergic response to try and get rid of the enemy, which in this case is harmless. It is not the organism, but your reaction to it, that makes you miserable. Symptoms of Hay Fever can include sneezing, a nose that runs or is congested, coughing, eyes that may burn, itch, and water, wheezing and difficulty breathing, and others.

Hay fever and asthma are commonly found together, and this situation should be monitored carefully by your doctor because allergens can be a trigger for an asthma attack. Allergies can be determined by allergy testing but this can get expensive if a number of substances are tested for. In an allergy test, a small amount of the possible allergen is placed under your skin. If a red bump or swelling occurs then you are allergic to that substance. There has been some research and results with exposing patients to increasing amounts of an allergen to desensitize them to the substance, but this should only be done under the care of your physician because of the risks involved.

Hay Fever affects millions of Americans each year, and can make them miserable. If you suffer from this condition, there are some things you can do to help minimize and prevent symptoms from occurring. There are over the counter medications that can really help control hay fever symptoms and make you more comfortable. Antihistamines and decongestants can be very helpful, and nasal sprays can reduce any congestion. For eyes that itch and burn, eye drops can be used to relieve these symptoms.

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Mold Allergy Medicine

Comments: 0August 31st, 2010 by admin



Mold allergies are caused when you live in a house where you are exposed to mold spores. You can also be exposed to mold spores in other areas of your life, but is generally in the home where most people are suffering from allergic reactions to mold. Mold allergy medicine is an answer to this problem. But first let’s have a look at problem of mold.

There are many allergic reactions caused by airborne pollutants, and mold allergies are no exception to this. Mold spores are part of the reproductive process that mold goes through. Mold spores can stay airborne indefinitely, so no matter how you try to avoid exposure to them, you will always fail if you are in an environment where they exist in great amounts.

Even the allergic reactions to other airborne allergens are similar to the allergic reactions felt with spores from mold. They generally come in the form of a runny nose, itchy eyes which can be very sore, sneezing, headaches, general irritation, and flu-like feelings. This is where the mold allergy medicine tries to alleviate some of the problems.

Mold allergy medicine comes in the form of antihistamines, corticosteroids, and sometimes bronchodilators. These medications are meant to treat the symptoms of mold allergy. There also a series of injections that are available from your physician to try and combat the long-term exposure to mold spores. The injections contain an element of mold and are usually given over time and in increasing doses in order to build a level of a tolerance to the mold.

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Posted in Allergy And Sinus

All About Hay Fever

Comments: 0May 2nd, 2009 by admin



The medical term for hay fever is allergic rhinitis. It is very similar to asthma except for one important difference. If you have asthma, airborne particles cause an allergic reaction in your chest and lungs. If you have hay fever you experience this reaction in your eyes, nose, and throat.

The airborne irritant is called an allergen. When you are exposed to the allergen your body releases a chemical called histamine. This results in an inflammation in your sinuses, the fragile lining of your nasal passages, your eyelids and the surface layer of your eyes.

Common allergens that trigger hay fever are dust mites, pollen, animal skin and hair, and feathers.

There are two types of hay fever, seasonal and perennial. If pollen is the only allergen that triggers your hay fever, you have seasonal allergic rhinitis, as pollen is not present in the air all year long. Your symptoms will only appear when you are in an area where plants produce pollen at the time of year when this happens. However if your hay fever is triggered by dust mites, animal hair or feathers, it would be perennial as these airborne particles are present year round. It is also possible to have both perennial and seasonal allergic rhinitis if more than one allergen triggers your symptoms. People with allergic rhinitis will start to sneeze, develop a runny nose and red watery eyes whenever they are exposed to the allergen that triggers their attacks. The eyes also itch and rubbing them makes it worse. Sometimes the skin itches and the throat becomes dry. Wheezing also occurs. An allergy attack will be most severe for fifteen to thirty minutes. Most people are aware when they are allergic to pollen. However, they may not know what other allergens they react to. If this is a problem, physicians can perform skin tests to identify the allergens that trigger the attacks.

Once you know the substances you are allergic to, try to minimize your exposure to these irritants or avoid them altogether. There are many over the counter preparations designed to help hay fever sufferers. The most common are antihistamines. These can both prevent and stop an attack however they may need to be used for several days. Antihistamines have certain side effects such as dryness in the nose and throat and drowsiness. A person taking antihistamines should exercise caution about driving or operating machinery until they know how the medicine affects them. If over the counter medications are not effective, there are prescription medications available from a physician. Antihistamines only relieve the symptoms of hay fever. They do not cure it. However, if you have had a skin test and your doctor has identified the substance that triggers your attacks, it is possible to cure the underlying cause. The doctor can administer a series of desensitizing injections. These actually contain the allergen and are given in increasingly stronger doses to stop reactions. While they have been successful with some patients, they do not work for everyone.

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Posted in Allergy And Sinus